ZIP Code 50073 — Elkhart city, IA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 50073 covers Elkhart, IA in Polk County with a population of about 1,018.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 49.5 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 515; U.S. House district IA-3; the DES MOINES - AMES media market.

Median household income in ZIP 50073 is about $94,712 — about 26% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 9.0%; unemployment rate near 0.3%; 38.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 4.7 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Transportation, and Construction; about 19.6% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 4.4 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $275,700 — about 21% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show owner-occupancy near 90.2% (about 24.8 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 50073 in Elkhart, IA, a household would need roughly $76,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,771. That sits below the local median household income ($94,712), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Elkhart city, IA as Relatively Moderate (composite score 92.0), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (92.1) and wildfire (57.7). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Elkhart city, IA show little to no average snow and around 37.0 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 58 for ZIP 50073 (Elkhart city, IA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.